


We Found Wonderland

by heytheregisela



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: M/M, Mavin, One Shot, RageHappy, Song fic, Wonderland, a one night stand that leads to more
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-20
Updated: 2015-01-20
Packaged: 2018-03-08 08:33:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3202607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heytheregisela/pseuds/heytheregisela
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Didn’t they tell us 'don’t rush into things.'? Didn’t you flash your green eyes at me?" [“Wonderland” by Taylor Swift]</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Found Wonderland

**Author's Note:**

> Long story short, my love for a song made this happen. It had also been a while since I wrote a song fic, so I took the opportunity. Also, I should probably point out that there’s like a bit of sexual stuff towards the end of the first part. Haha, it’s not even fully detailed though, but it’s sort of there.

_Flashing lights and we took a wrong turn, and we fell down a rabbit hole..._

 

The day Michael met Gavin was more than unexpected, and something that probably shouldn't have happened. It was after a long day of work, one that left Michael wanting nothing more than to get home, but Lindsay was such a persuasive person and managed to drag Michael to a club.

“I can't believe we're here when I can easily be at home right now, asleep,” Michael grumbled as they approached the building.

“Come on, Michael. This is my first time going to a club and I wanted you to experience it with me,” Lindsay told him. “That's what best friends do, right? They experience this kind of shit together.”

“Yeah, but you're going to meet up with your other friends and I barely know them.”

“I'm not going to ignore you, Michael. You know me better than to do that.”

“Yeah, but still...” Michael trailed off, not knowing where to take that, because Lindsay was right. Anytime Michael hung out with her and her friends, he never really felt that left out, but just the fact that he didn't know them as well as he knew Lindsay made it all a bit awkward. Maybe tonight it wouldn't be though. He could only hope.

As soon as they were able to walk in, Michael practically cringed when the loud music became even louder and his entire body felt like it was vibrating from it. The crazy flashing lights weren't making anything any better either. He stayed close to Lindsay's side as they maneuvered through the crowd of wildly dancing people, because he knew he could easily lose her; he could barely see a thing to begin with, the place would be pitch dark if it weren't for those annoying flashing lights. They reached the bar where Barbara, Arryn, Miles, Kerry, and Kdin were standing, grabbing their first drinks of the night.

“Lindsay has arrived!” Barbara had to shout over the music. The others grabbed their drinks and held them up.

“We can finally drink these,” Arryn shouted excitedly.

“You guys were waiting on me to start drinking?” Lindsay asked, raising her voice so she would be heard.

“Of course we did,” Barbara said as she picked up one of the drinks and handed one to Lindsay, and then another to Michael. She grabbed her own and held it up. “To a good night!”

“Woo!” They all, but Michael, cheered, before clinking their glasses together. Michael took a deep breath and drank the entire liquid down in one gulp. He knew that once Lindsay was distracted dancing, along with everyone else, he could leave. They had taken a taxi there, for obvious reasons, so it wasn't like he was leaving Lindsay without a ride. He was sure they were all taking taxis home anyway, considering the main goal was to get drunk as fast as possible apparently.

After a few more drinks were passed around, Barbara held out her hand to Arryn and the two hurried onto the dance floor together. Miles and Kerry followed them, and then Kdin. Lindsay stood behind a bit, eying Michael curiously.

“What?” Michael finally asked, putting his glass down on the counter.

“You look like you're having fun!” Lindsay told him, the sarcasm perfectly lacing her voice. Michael almost rolled his eyes. “See, I would ask you to dance, but I don't want you to be miserable. You're free to join me whenever, though,” she said as she patted his hand.

Michael smiled softly at her and watched as she stepped away and joined her friends. This was the opportunity for Michael to get away. He swallowed the lump in his throat, pushing away the little guilt that was beginning to build up, and hurried towards the door, only seeing glances of Miles and Kerry dancing closely together with Lindsay jumping in every now and so.

He was _so_ close to making it out – _so_ close – and he would have if it weren't for the man he ran right into.

“Oi!” The man squealed, making Michael jump back with furrowed eyebrows.

“God damn. I'm sorry, I guess!” Michael yelled over the music, trying not to sound annoyed.

The man had been holding a drink hand and was wiping at his now wet shirt, but he stopped to look up at Michael and Michael held his breath the moment they locked eyes.

“I'm the sorry one, love,” the man spoke, and Michael gaped at him when he noticed the accent. “I'm Gavin!”

Michael closed his mouth and cleared his throat before saying anything back, “Uh, hi... I'm... I'm Michael!”

Through the flashing lights, Michael could barely make out the grin that was forming on Gavin's face.

“Well, hi Michael,” Gavin said, almost too softly for Michael to hear.

Michael smiled. “Hey...”

And that was how Michael found himself dancing on the dance floor with Gavin, far enough away from Lindsay and her friends so they wouldn't see him. That's how he found his body up so close to Gavin's that they ended up grinding against each other, to the point where Michael was biting down hard on his lower lip and wanting nothing more than to push Gavin up against a wall. That's how he found himself grabbing Gavin's face and crashing their lips together, not caring when their teeth collided a little, because he couldn't hold back any longer.

That's how he ended up in the back of a taxi, hardly unable to tell the driver where to go because he was too occupied with exploring the entirety of Gavin's mouth with his tongue (and a part of him did feel a little bad about doing this with the driver there, but he was sure it wasn't the first time). It was how he clumsily handed the money to the driver and stumbled out of that taxi with Gavin already clawing at him in an attempt to tear off his shirt.

“Hold on,” Michael breathlessly said, pulling his head back to look at Gavin's dilated pupils and swollen lips. “Let's wait until we at least get inside my apartment; it's not that far up.”

“Let's just bloody hurry up, then, because I have no problem doing this in that alleyway,” Gavin nodded towards it.

Michael smirked at him and shook his head. “I'm not drunk enough for that. I'd prefer my bed.” He grabbed Gavin's hand and dragged him inside the apartment complex.

About fifteen minutes later, they were kissing their way inside of Michael's apartment after Michael took a while trying to unlock the door with his back to it. Gavin now wasted no time taking Michael's shirt off, followed by his own, and they barely made it to the bedroom fully clothed. It was all fingers through hair and teeth biting down on exposed skin on the way there.

That was how Michael ended up having one of the best Friday nights he's had in a while. And after they were done and Michael was rolling himself off of Gavin, they lied there, staring up at the ceiling and trying to catch their breaths. When breaths slowed down enough, they began to grin, thinking over what had just happened. Michael looked over at Gavin and after a moment, Gavin looked back. They just stared at each other at first, neither of them saying a word, but then Michael scooted closer to him.

“I should probably get home,” Gavin whispered.

“Or you can stay,” Michael told him, “because it might be nice waking up to someone for once.” Gavin laughed softly.

“I agree,” he then said, leaning in closer until their lips met.

And that was how something that maybe should have been a one night stand turned into something more.

 

_You held on tight to me, 'cause nothing's as it seems, and spinning out of control..._

 

Michael's eyes fluttered open and the corners of his lips slowly rose at the sight he saw. This was the third morning in almost two weeks that he'd waken up to Gavin next to him. Michael hated to admit, but these kind of mornings were becoming his favorite. Gavin always woke up later than Michael, so Michael did take advantage of the fact that he was able to admire the way Gavin looked, sleeping peacefully, a little bit. After a while, though, he would feel weird about it and get out of bed.

This particular morning, he woke up earlier than usual, because his stomach decided it wanted food and it wanted it _now._ Michael hurried out of his bed and into the kitchen, craving everything and anything all at once. He decided that he could treat himself to a breakfast that didn't pertain to just cereal for once. He was sure Gavin would appreciate it that, too, well... if Michael didn't end up eating the entire thing, because at the moment, he seriously felt like he could eat a lot of anything. This was what he got for skipping out on dinner the night before. It wasn't like he meant to; he just got caught up wandering around the city with Gavin, who had eaten.

Michael opened the refrigerator door and pulled out the carton of eggs, closed package of bacon, and butter. As he got the stove and pan warming up, he grabbed the bread and placed two slices into the toaster. Right when the bacon was starting to cook and aroma began to roam through the apartment, Gavin was awake and his stomach was growling. His stomach wasn't nearly as growling as Michael's, though, because Michael was tempted to devour the bread the second it popped out. He pushed back his hunger enough to place the toast onto a plate before popping two other slices into the toaster.

Gavin inhaled the beautiful smell as he walked out of the bedroom and exhaled loudly, getting Michael's attention. Michael turned around and smiled at him.

“Are you really making me breakfast?” Gavin asked, making his way up to him.

Michael snorted. “No, I'm just really fucking hungry right now and was craving a good, warm breakfast,” he almost drooled just thinking about eating the food. Wow. Last night was the last time he would skip a meal if he could help it. He was thrown out of his thoughts as arms wrapped tightly around his waist. He looked over just as Gavin rested his head on his shoulder.

“You're not supposed to watch the chef cook, Gav; it makes us nervous.”

Gavin sighed and closed his eyes. “There, I'm not looking anymore.”

Michael laughed, though he didn't complain, because this did feel nice.

 

 

 _Didn't they tell us “don't rush into things.”? Didn't you flash your_ green _eyes at me? Haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds?_

 

 

It was during the end of Michael's second week with Gavin that Lindsay and Ray decided to come over for a visit. Michael had ordered a few pizzas and rented some movies, because it had been a while since he'd actually hung out with them, and he was excited. They arrived a little after the pizza did – perfect timing – and Michael greeted them more enthusiastically than he had ever.

“Someone is really happy and it's kinda creepy,” Ray commented, receiving a nudge from Lindsay.

“Fucking _sorry_ for being happy to see you losers,” Michael told them, his smile faltering as he moved out of the way and allowed them in.

Ray smiled apologetically at him and Lindsay turned to him once she was fully inside the apartment.

“Are we seriously the only reason you're extremely happy?” Lindsay asked. “Or... does it have to do with a certain British guy you've been seeing,” her eyebrows rose, “You know, the one you ditched me for at the club that you considered seeing again. I'm assuming you _did_ see him again.”

“And again... and again... _and_ again,” Ray added. Lindsay laughed.

Michael glared at Ray then at Lindsay. “I should have kept my mouth shut about him.”

“Are you seeing him or not?”

“Yeah, I'm seeing him,” Michael headed into the kitchen to grab a plates and cups for them. “ _Been_ seeing him, and he's stayed over more than a few times since.”

“I don't want to know how many times you've guys had sex,” Ray told him.

“Actually, only once, because the other times he's slept over have just been him sleeping over.”

Lindsay blinked. “ _Really_? I mean, I'm not surprised because obviously people do that all the time, but you... you don't really do that unless you've been with the person for a while. You kind of _hate_ sharing the bed.”

“Yeah, I found that out the hard way,” Ray said, shuddering. “The summer we decided a road trip would be fun and we ended up getting a hotel room with one bed, but Lindsay ended up sleeping comfortably on the floor instead while I... well, _I_ ended up with bruises _everywhere_ the next morning, because _somebody_ wouldn't stop trying to take over the _entire_ bed for themselves!” Ray huffed and shook his head. “Selfish asshole.”

“I told you that might happen,” Michael reminded him.

“Yeah, but what was I supposed to do – stay awake the whole night to make sure you didn't kick or punch me?”

Michael merely smiled and started handing the plates out for them to grab as many slices of pizza as they wanted while he poured soda into the cups.

“I'm happy for you, Michael,” Lindsay spoke again, “You found someone you really like and that's great.”

“It is.”

“Yeah, but just be careful.”

Michael stopped pouring midway and looked up at her. “Why?”  
“You might be in the honeymoon stage,” Ray explained.

“Yeah,” Lindsay agreed, nodding.

“The fuck is that?” Michael asked, setting the large bottle aside.

“Basically, it's when the relationship is new and _everything_ is passionate and fun.”

“ _And_ after it's over, you either still like each other or you realize the spark could only last so long,” Ray finished for her.

“That's so stupid,” Michael said as he rolled his eyes. “And Gavin and I are _not_ in that stage.”

“Then what stage are you in?”

“We're not in _any_ stage, because we aren't treating our relationship like a fucking game!”

Ray held his hands up in defense. “Alright, alright... that's good, then.” The silence that filled the room had them all exchanging questionable looks, but nobody knew what to say.

Then Lindsay bit down on her lower lip and decided she had to say _something._ “Sorry for even bringing it up. I had no right to and I know you know what you're doing.”

Michael sighed deeply and continued to pour the drinks again. “Yeah, it's fine. I get it, okay? His friend was grilling him about us the other day, too, so it's fine. But!” He finished filling the cups and set the bottle down a second time. “... This means I get to grill you guys when you two get into relationships.” Ray let out a loud laugh before biting into his slice of pizza and Lindsay just agreed.

 

_Didn't it all seem new and exciting? I felt your arms twisting around me. I should have slept with one eye open at night..._

 

Michael was perfectly happy lying on the couch with Gavin like this – Gavin's head on his chest and Michael's arm wrapped around him, and their fingers intertwined. They weren't even paying attention to what they were watching, but everything just felt so comfortable and right. Anytime spent with Gavin felt this way, though, like nothing could actually go wrong. There were times where Gavin would open his mouth and say something that would _completely_ ruin the mood – like asking the most pointless and confusing questions (“Do you think you could convince a human baby that a cat was their mum?”) – but then there were times like this.

Michael looked down at Gavin and planted a kiss on the top of his head. He smiled when he heard Gavin sigh contently in response. His smile slowly fell as Ray and Lindsay's words came back to him.

This was no honeymoon stage.

He was sure that if it was, it'd be over by now. It had now almost been a month and he and Gavin were still happy with each other... weren't they? Yeah, Michael knew they were. He had a feeling Gavin wouldn't string him around if he was bored or something. So, he shook his head and gave Gavin's hand a gentle squeeze and started to really watch what was on TV, as did Gavin.

Nothing could be better than this.

 

_We found Wonderland... you and I got lost in it, and we pretended it could last forever._

 

If anyone had to describe Michael and Gavin's relationship with one word, it probably wouldn't be “romantic”, because although they had their cozy little nights where they simply cuddled, overall, it wasn't like that. So when Michael texted Gavin to let him about a reservation he made at a restaurant on Saturday night, a night they planned to spend together, Gavin was honestly surprised.

Gavin: A restaurant? What kind?

Michael: The kind you should look nice for.

Gavin: Are you saying I don't always look nice?

Michael: Just wear your best clothes, Gavin. None of those T-shirts or torn Converse.

And even though the thought of having to “dress up” was a bit annoying, Gavin went with it. On Saturday night, an hour before Michael was supposed to pick him up, he changed into his gray button down and his dark skinny jeans. He even put on his black dress for once _and_ styled his hair. By the time Michael had arrived, Gavin smiled at himself in the mirror and headed out.

The restaurant was quite the sight; dim lighting, candlelit centerpieces, and very quiet atmosphere that it felt like everyone was whispering to each other, but they weren't. As Gavin walked in with Michael, he had to say what he'd been thinking the whole car ride there.

He turned to him and said, “You look _absolutely_ handsome tonight.”

Michael grinned and averted his eyes, getting a look of attire of khaki pants, dress shoes, and a black button down with a red tie. “Yeah, uh..” he forced himself to look him in the eyes again, “You don't look so bad yourself.” He patted Gavin's cheek and turned away to face the hostess as she walked up to them.

Once they got to their table, Gavin was practically bouncing in his seat. Michael furrowed his eyebrows.

“You're a child,” he commented, picking up his menu.

“I don't think I have ever been somewhere this extravagant before,” Gavin told him. “What do I order?” He grabbed his own menu. “How do I eat it?”

Michael breathed out a laugh. “You order whatever the fuck you want and eat it the way you'd normally eat. It's not rocket science, Gavin.”

“Are we going to split the pay?”

“No, I'm paying for all of it.”

“But Michael...”

“Gavin, I've been saving up for this, because I thought we could have _one_ night where we're not just fucking around. It's fine, babe; I can handle it,” and with the reassuring smile Michael gave him, Gavin couldn't protest further.

They ordered and talked about things that went on during their walk as they waited for their food, and they hardly spoke while they ate, because the food was seriously amazing. It was only about eight PM when they were finished and Michael paid, so while they walked out, an idea struck him.

“Are you tired?” He asked Gavin.

Gavin shook his head. “Not even slightly.”

Michael smirked. “I think I know where we can go.” He opened the car door and got inside, leaving Gavin to stand outside the passenger door for a moment and wondering where the hell Michael meant. Michael almost couldn't stop smiling, because being fancy and proper was okay for a little while, but he was ready to go back to having some real fun. Gavin sat still in the car, staring out the window to try and figure out where they were headed, and as they turned on a street, he knew.

His face lit up and he looked at Michael. “I don't think I'm in the right attire for this, Michael.”

“Neither am I,” Michael reminded him, gesturing towards his own outfit with one hand. “But who gives a fuck?”

Finding a parking spot was a bit difficult, but Michael managed and as the car was shut off, he started undoing his tie. Gavin was grinning excitedly as he undid the first three buttons on his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. He also ruffled his hair with his hands until it was back to its original messy self and Michael laughed before doing the same, and then they felt like they were ready.

The fair wasn't going to be open much longer, so Michael knew going there at least _once_ with Gavin was something he needed to do.

They held hands as they made their way towards the entrance. Overly joyed screams and laughter could be heard throughout the place, and Gavin was more excited about this than Michael expected he would be.

Lines to most of the good rides were much too long that Michael dragged Gavin away, because there was no way he was going to stand in one of them for one hour. If they did that, they would literally waste time and only end up on three rides at most instead of doing a whole bunch of other things. Gavin had to agree when he saw it put that way and didn't mind much anymore about having to skip out on some rides. They mostly went on the smaller ones and there was a particular one that spun pretty fast, which did get Michael a bit queasy, but he was relieved he wasn't like Gavin. Gavin was the first off that ride, because he was suddenly regretting everything he had eaten at dinner.

Michael stood next to him, patting his back and ignoring the way Gavin told him to get away from him for a moment.

“I'm not grossed out,” Michael told him. Gavin couldn't even protest any longer; he was too busy with something else. Michael did step away from him a little only to get to a nearby stand and buy Gavin a water bottle, which Gavin was more than grateful for.

After that, they were done with all rides and decided to give the games a try.

There was a popping balloons type that looked like the kind _anyone_ could play and win the highest prize at, even someone with terrible aim. That was why Michael _had_ to play that one. He walked up to the front, Gavin right behind him. Michael flashed him a smug look before he was handed the darts and Gavin watched intently as Michael carefully aimed for one of the balloons in the middle, but as he threw the dart, it hit the wall instead.

“God damnit,” Michael muttered under his breath.

“Oh, let me try,” Gavin said, snatching one of Michael's darts from his hand.

“Yeah, whatever. It's not like you'll do any better than I-” Michael was cut off by the sound of a pop. He turned his head to see that Gavin had successfully popped the balloon he had been aiming for. “What the fu...” Michael groaned and folded his arms over his chest.

“How the hell do you manage to suck at _everything_ _else_ in the world but this?!” He asked.

Gavin shrugged, practically squealing when he was handed his prize – a small stuffed dolphin. He held it out to Michael and smiled.

“For you,” he said.

Michael rolled his eyes and held up his last dart. “I have one more try.”

“Go ahead,” Gavin stepped aside to give his boyfriend room and Michael stuck his tongue out in concentration, facing the balloons again. But again, he tossed it and the wall was the victim once more. Michael closed his eyes momentarily, taking a deep breath and Gavin tried his best to hold in his laugh by pursing his lips.

When Michael opened his eyes, he looked at Gavin. “Give me that,” he grabbed the dolphin from Gavin's hands and started walking off, “I deserve this.” Gavin let out the laugh as he followed him.

“I think you did great,” he said to Michael, sneaking his hand into his. Michael rolled his eyes but was unable to resist the smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“I just thought it'd be nice if I could fucking win you a teddy bear or something.”

“A teddy bear doesn't matter, Michael. And anyway, _I_ won _you_ something, which makes me feel good. I've never won anything at these. I shouldn't even let you keep it...” As Gavin began to reach for the dolphin with his other hand, Michael tightened his grip on it and pulled away.

“Fuck off; this one is _mine_!” He shouted and Gavin merely sighed before leaning in and kissing Michael quickly on the cheek.

 

_We found Wonderland... you and I got lost in it, and life was never worse, but never better._

 

It was after a round of video games that Michael felt like he had enough. Gavin was just being more irritating than usual during the games – purposely messing everything up more, answering Michael's serious questions with such sarcasm, and laughing when Michael was genuinely mad. Michael wanted to take a deep breath and relax about it, but he couldn't when Gavin kept continuing to do all of that. As soon as they finished the last round, Michael dropped his controller and tackled Gavin onto the floor.

“ _Michael_!” Gavin squealed, though he started laughing as he tried pushing Michael off of him.

“I will fucking _kill_ you, Gavin!” Michael growled. “You piece of shit!”

Gavin stopped laughing when he really took in the look on Michael's face. Oh. He _was_ angry. Gavin's eyebrows squeezed together.

“You're angry with me for having fun! How is that far?!”

“How is it fair that you don't stop when I say 'stop'?!”

“Get OFF of me!”

Michael obliged, quickly jumping up to his feet and huffing as he brushed down his shirt. His face felt warm and he had no doubt his cheeks were red from the anger. Gavin got up a little slowly, watching Michael closely, and then running his fingers through his hair.

“I'm so pissed off at you, Gavin,” Michael said through his clenched teeth.

“Fine, then. Be pissed. See if I care,” Gavin turned and started walking towards the door. Michael threw his hands up, not even caring to see him walk off like that. He was about to sit back down on the couch and watch something to calm him down, but then Gavin was coming back towards him.

“Get out, Gavin!” Michael shouted, pointing towards the door. “I don't want to even _look_ at you right now!”

“You know, you've been like this a lot lately. It's like you can't stand me anymore,” the fact that Gavin's tone was so calm was kind of adding fuel to the fire. And also, he wasn't completely wrong. They had been bickering a ton lately over any little thing, but they would usually laugh it off or work through it. It was just how it went.

“What the _fuck_ are you talking about? Of course I can stand you! You're my _boyfriend_!”

Gavin closed the gap between them, a frown on his face as he just stared at Michael. Michael huffed.

“I get it, Gav. I get that you're having fun and yeah, I'm having fun, too, but it's not funny anymore when you keep doing what you're doing on purpose because you _know_ it'll piss me off.”

“That's not true.”

“It is true!”

Gavin shook his head. “I wouldn't purposely piss you off!”

“Yes, you would-” Michael couldn't even finish his sentence, because Gavin's lips were on his at that moment, rough and needy, and he didn't want to hold back. He cupped Gavin's face and titled his head, deepening the kiss, almost forgetting that he was actually angry. He was going to tell Gavin again how big of a piece of a shit he was, but that thought became lost the second his lower lip was being sucked on.

“I love you,” he managed to whisper against the kiss, and Gavin pulled back a little to grin at him, but that barely lasted, because Michael was quickly pulling him back in.

 

_So we went on our way, too in love to think straight – all alone or so it seemed... but there were strangers watching, and whispers turned to talking, and talking turned to screams._

 

“So, you do these videos where you record yourself playing video games?” Gavin asked Michael one day as he watched Michael set his microphone up.

“Yeah, I've explained this to you before,” Michael told him. Gavin smiled.

“If you're going to record one right now, why am I here then? Wouldn't you prefer to be alone?”

“Usually, yeah, but since I haven't recorded a decent video in the past three months, I decided that my comeback video could include you.”

Now Gavin's smile was wider. “Really?” Michael nodded. “What do I have to do?”

“Just sit down next to me and be you,” Michael said, handing him a controller.

The two got themselves comfortable and were all set to go within the next twenty minutes. Michael turned the game on and made sure everything was recording before speaking.

“Hey, you fucks, I'm finally back with another video! But I actually got a special guest with me this time,” he glanced at Gavin to give him the cue to talk.

“Hi, everyone!” Gavin cheerfully said.

Michael scoffed and shook his head. “Yeah, that's my boyfriend, Gavin, and during this video, you'll probably be wondering a _million_ times why I'm even with him.”

Gavin gaped at him. “What?!”

Michael looked down as he giggled a little and Gavin continued to sputter out variations of “W-what?” until Michael was able to regain himself.

“I'm just fucking kidding, Gavin.”

“I should know that, because these past three months together have been absolutely top.”

“For you, maybe.”

“Michael!”

Michael only laughed again before clicking “start” on the game. “Alright, Gav, let's just started.”

“Fine with me!”

They were only getting started with the recording and Michael already couldn't wait to edit and upload it. He knew it would probably be the one of the few videos he actually read through the comments for, because he was curious to see what the people that watched his channel had to say about Gavin. He could only imagine some of them hating Gavin and others thinking he was the best person ever, because the world seemed to have a love/hate relationship with him.

Later that night, Michael did have enough time to edit and upload before going to sleep. That next morning, the first thing he did was check the video and its comments, but the kind he saw had him furrowing his eyebrows.

“Wow, you two are kind of annoying together,” one read.

“They act like they've been together for a year. Like, maybe slow down a bit,” another said.

And there was also a few that all said things along the lines of, “How are you two not tired of each other yet?”

Michael groaned and tossed his phone aside. What did he expect, though? Everyone was a critic. He wasn't going to let those comments get to him, because he dealt with worse before, and really, that was nothing to get upset about.

A week later, that video ended up having the most likes out of all of Michael's videos, but it also had the most comments, and the top rated ones were just some of the cruelest things. Michael was honestly not offended in any way, but knowing they were there did bother him a bit, as much as he despised to admit it.

He would get over it.

 

 _Didn't they tell us “don't rush into things?” Didn't you flash your_ green _eyes at me? Didn't you calm my fears with the Cheshire cat smile? Didn't it all seem new and exciting? I felt your arms twisting around me. It's all fun and games 'til somebody loses their mind..._

 

Lindsay gently massaged Michael's back as he downed his sixth drink of the night. They were sitting together at a bar, because Michael had gotten there after getting into a very heated argument with Gavin over the phone. Gavin had been in the middle of saying something else when Michael just hung up on him and left his apartment. He had called Lindsay the second he got to the bar and Lindsay had just arrived.

“Not like I don't love him, y'know?” Michael asked Lindsay, putting his glass down and turning his body to face her better. “He just... he makes me mad _a lot_ sometimes.”

Lindsay blinked, but then she nodded. “I get what you mean... I think.”

“I wish he would listen more, to me,” Michael pointed to himself, “He listens but doesn't _listen_.” Lindsay frowned. “Lindsay, I'm trying s'hard to make it work. I _am._ ”

“I don't doubt that,” Lindsay assured him.

“But he! He... no. I'm doing _everything_ here!”

Lindsay sighed and called the bartender over. She asked for some water for Michael and got off the bar stool she was sitting on. 

“I'll be back in a second, okay? I have to use the restroom.”

Michael nodded and she hurried off. The glass of water was placed in front of him and Michael was ready to reject it and toss it aside, but then the vibration in his pockets caught his attention. He struggled with pulling out his cell phone, but he managed and saw that Gavin was calling. Without even realizing it at first, Michael's eyes were beginning to water and he answered the call without hesitation. 

“Gavin,” he slurred. 

Gavin opened his mouth to speak, but he paused when he took in exactly how Michael sounded. “Are you drunk, Michael?”

“Gav, I love you, but I also fuckin' hate you,” Michael practically whispered. 

Gavin sighed. “Where are you? I can take a taxi to you.” 

“I'm at the bar, Gavin. The one by my apartment.”

Gavin had no idea what bar that was, but he did know where Michael lived, so he would go from there. “Alright, I'll be there soon.”

“No!” Michael shouted, startling a few people standing nearby. “Fuck off! I'm mad at you right now!” But Gavin ignored that and rushed out of his place. Michael's lower lip quivered as he put his phone and let out a quiet sob. Lindsay was smiling as she headed back to Michael's side, but she gasped when she saw him crying.

“Oh my god, Michael! What's wrong?” She asked, running to him. 

“Gavin!” Michael announced loudly, wiping his face roughly. Lindsay said nothing more. She just held him there to comfort him, and that was why she was completely caught off guard when Gavin showed up after a while.

“What are you doing here?” She asked him, not letting go of Michael.

“I'm here to see how Michael's doing,” Gavin replied, and Michael recognized his voice, so he pulled out of Lindsay's embrace and looked at him. Gavin frowned to see Michael's face drenched in tears and he gently wiped a few tears that rolled down his cheeks with his thumbs. “I'm sorry, Michael.”

Maybe it was the alcohol, but Michael couldn't even try to be mad with him. He was close to falling when he got off the stool and wrapped his arms around Gavin, and Gavin sighed in relief as he buried his face in Michael's curls. 

“Hate you,” Michael whispered against his neck. 

Gavin bit down on his lip, because for once, he wasn't sure how they would be after this particular fight. They were hugging, but it didn't feel the same. There was something different. There was a type of  _bitterness_ in the way Michael said those two words. 

And for the first time since they started this relationship, Gavin was worried. 

 

_I reached for you, but you were gone... I knew I had to go back home._

 

Gavin had a right to be worried, because Michael had booked a flight to visit his family in New Jersey without telling him. Michael hadn't planned to leave without saying anything, though. He really hadn't. He was prepared to tell Gavin that he wanted a break and wanted time to be with his family, but when Michael went over to Gavin's place to tell him, Gavin was gone.

Michael had Geoff Ramsey's number, one of Gavin's friends, and immediately contacted him. Geoff explained to Michael that Gavin knew of Michael's plans and decided that he was also going to leave for a week or so, back to England.

So Michael went home and spent his last day alone, watching Netflix and eating leftovers. At night, when he got into bed, it felt extremely cold and empty, even though Gavin was hardly there at night to begin with, but still...

He hardly slept through the night, because a bad dream had caused him to wake up at around four in the morning, and for a moment, he thought Gavin was sleeping next to him. Though when his eyes adjusted to the darkness, no one was there and it hit him that it was over.

“God damnit,” he muttered under his breath, covering himself tightly with his sheets and swallowing the lump in his throat.

He spent the next five hours trying not to cry or feel miserable, but it didn't work. The plane ride was definitely going to be a long one.

 

_You search the world for something else to make you feel like what we had._

 

Being back at home felt nice, and refreshing, and just something Gavin knew he needed. He saw familiar faces and places, and the first week back, he hardly thought about Michael. That had to do with the fact that he was always occupied with catching up with friends and exploring his favorite places.

His second week back, though, he went to a pub with his best friend Dan, and Dan, along with all of Gavin's other friends, knew better than to bring Michael up. Gavin had called him before he left Austin and told him all about the situation, followed by, “And I don't want this holiday to be spoiled by thoughts of him.” So, Dan kept his mouth shut about Michael and just talked about old things with Gavin as they drank.

Gavin was fine, until he was utterly intoxicated and the man sitting behind Dan suddenly looked like the most attractive person he had ever seen. Dan hadn't noticed the exchange of looks the two were having, but he did notice when Gavin stood up and walked around him to be face-to-face with the stranger.

“What are you doing, B?” Dan asked, looking over his shoulder and seeing the two grinning lopsidedly at each other. Dan's question was answered when Gavin kissed the stranger, making Dan feel pretty uncomfortable. He decided to get up and walk away to give them privacy, but he took maybe five steps when he heard the stranger ask, “What's the matter with you?” in such an angry tone.

Dan turned back around. Gavin was sitting down again, arms crossed and the most devastated look on his face. Dan walked up to him, signaling the stranger to walk off and leave them alone, and then Gavin was talking.

“I-I went home with Michael,” he was slurring terribly, “We met at a club. I don't want to... to-to go home with someone else. I want to go home with... Michael.” Gavin pouted a little and Dan patted his thigh.

“Call him when you get back,” he told Gavin. “Let him know you still care.”

That was how Gavin found himself back in Austin at the end of that week, sitting on his bed and staring at him as though it was going to attack him. No matter how much he had tried to distract himself from Michael at home, he couldn't, because Michael was admittedly the best thing to ever happen to him. He couldn't just forget that.

Finally working up the courage to call him, Gavin picked up his phone and did so, even though it was one AM in New Jersey. Michael was deep in his sleep and his phone was put on silent, so he slept through the call, and Gavin was left with trying again in the morning, or leaving a voice mail. He chose the latter, because what he wanted to say might not sound as great later.

Michael woke up at around seven and checked his phone to find a voice mail from Gavin. He wanted to ignore it, but curiosity won him over and he pressed his phone against his ear to listen.

“Michael...” Gavin's voice was soft, “Michael, I'm so sorry. I let you go too soon, but maybe we just fell in love too soon... maybe we were doomed from the start, but I miss you, Michael, and I hope that we can properly talk when you get back here.” There was a pause, and the background was very silent that Michael had to make sure there was still more. But then Gavin started talking again, “I still love you, you big dope.” Michael obviously couldn't see him, but he knew Gavin enough to be able to _hear_ the smile, and it made him smile as well.

The voice mail ended and Michael thought about calling back, but no...

If he was being honest with himself, all their relationship was becoming was endless fights and disagreements, and he just didn't want to deal with that right now. Perhaps they could talk when he returned, but he wasn't going to think about it right now.

He set his phone down on the nightstand and rested his head back on the pillow. A few more hours of sleep didn't seem too bad. His eyes fluttered shut as Gavin's last words roamed through his head, and he smiled again.

 

_And in the end in Wonderland, we both went mad._

 


End file.
